Missionary blog of Sister Emily Heyer, Brazil Campinas Mission, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Sunday, June 29, 2014

yo hablo espanol

Well….Sister P and I are doing well. The work is sloooowww going during these games let me tell ya. But....it gives me lots of time to learn spanish with Sister P. We also took a poll at a bus stop and the most commonly used car brand in Brasil is Chevrolet with Fiat coming in a close second. 

We did have some wonderful Family Home Evenings with a few investigators at a members home. The spirit was super strong and they all came to church on Sunday. So I can’t complain. Even with the cup the work goes on....even if it is slower. I just feel bad because Sister P has that new missionary fire and wants to teach....and we don’t teach a lot. She is NEVER tired! I didn’t realize how old I am until I got her as a comp. She is 19 (barely) and has two weeks of walking. I have 1 year and almost 1 month. And I thought I was going strong....nope. I am old. Knees creaking, eyes almost don’t stay open, the whole deal. Poor girl. She is very patient with me. I’m still kicking it though....there are still 22 weeks in me! I hope. ;P hehe

There aren’t too many new things to report. I’m racking my brain here. OH! N (the boxer) will receive the priesthood this week! That is exciting. :) T came to an activity at a members house which was a big step for her. Now we just have to get her to church too. 

With the Sister's adopted "mom"
Oh cool story really quick. A few weeks ago T´s grandpa had a stroke and she had to go with him to the hospital following the ambulance. C (her husband) had to stay home alone with the kids without a car and with absolutely no food in the house. I felt really strongly to call the RS secretary and just ask if she knew someone who could make a dinner and take it to C and the kids. She immediately agreed and make a hugeee dinner and boxed it all up for them. She sent her husband to deliver it. All I heard about it was from T who said that she was super grateful and it was so nice of them. I thought that was it....but then the RS secretary’s husband shared his testimony in Sunday School and told his version of the story. He said that when his wife had told him to take food to C and the kids he was upset because he was starving and he had to take food to some stranger and would have nothing to eat. When he got there....C came to get the food and when he saw all the food he started crying. C explained how he had been so worried because the girls were so hungry and they didn’t even have bread in the house (or money) and how he was completely lost at what to do. He called the food a "god sent miracle" and the two men cried together and talked about the gospel. I couldn’t help but cry myself when I heard. We have been trying so hard to break through to C and T. I know that this moment was truly inspired and I am so glad that I followed a prompting and that the faith and love of the members made this answered prayer possible. 

Challenge for the week: look to be the answer to someone´s prayer. 

I love you all. Have a great week! <3


Sister Emily Heyer


Sunday, June 22, 2014

GOLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!

First off...

I survived the first Brasil game. There is another tomorrow. Even Burger King closed during the game. We were almost run over by 2 buses and 3 cars trying to get back home before 5. But otherwise we were fine. We got McDonalds like 3 fine Americans and 1 Ecuadorian who is outnumbered (so we paid for her) and sat on the front room floor listening for the screams. Sure enough....the whole entire city erupted in GOL!!!!! and other outbursts which I shall not include here because they are offensive. We understood why later when we learned that a ball was shot by Brasil into the wrong goal. How embarrassing. hahaha. Anyways it was incredibly interesting to be in the middle of it without really being a part of it. The entire country Literally stops....and they all scream in unison. Many movements anti-copo happened but....not close to our house so it was fine. After the game everyone floods the streets honking and partying and dancing and yelling and it is really intense. I have to admit I found it very thrilling. I might actually like soccer a little more now. 

Second off...

My companion is Sister P from Ecuador! She is 19 and teeny tiny and adorable. I love her. She is really quiet. But after a transfer with me that should go away. Like Mother like Daughter. We are trying to work our hardest amongst the laziness that a world cup brings. 

Third....

SISTER W HAS COME BACK TO ME! :DDDD Yep....you read that right. My querida amiga is living in our house once again. I can’t believe it myself. Obviously living together for 5 months of our missions wasn’t enough! We are ecstatic. But I have to control myself because my companion needs me. haha. With her came a lovely sister named Sister S from Kansas and graduated from BYU this past winter in Middle Eastern Studies and speaks Arabic and Hebrew....the odds that she knows Ariel by sight are ENORMOUS. Can someone send me a picture of Ariel? <3) She is hilarious. And amazing. 

Fourth.....
 This transfer is already flying by and once it does it will leave me with only 3 transfers left before I go home. I am FREAKING OUT. But it’ll be good. It’ll be good. 

Fifth.....
I am officially singing in the ward choir. Oh joy. It’s us 4 Sisters and like....3 other people. hahaha. But its going GREAT! :) 

Well....thats about it. I love you all. Pictures to follow. Have a wonderful week! <3 Boa Sorte EUA tonight! <3 


Sister Heyer

Sunday, June 15, 2014

It's a girl!

One year on mission!
Well.....the big news.....I will be a (mission) mom! Got the transfer calls and I will be staying in Castelo (yayayayaya!) and I will be training a new missionary! Straight from the MTC and Brasilian. Sister L, Sister S, Sister R, AND Elder S were transferred. So just me and Elder N will stay in this ward with a bunch of new people. Once again three left and just I stayed. I hope that is not some sign about how I drive people out. ;( haha. All I know is that two American Sisters will live with me and my new "filha" and that I will "be very happy" is what Elder N said. Of course I will...The gospel is true and I’m a missionary! Elder S is getting ready to go home so he will step down....well not down just out....as assistant. So the singing days are up. :( But it´ll be okay. Maybe the new assistant knows how to play the piano. ;P haha. Sister L will move on to be with a Brasilian companion who will teach her more Portuguese than I did. 

This week we contacted a reference and were not able to teach her but just from the door contact we made with her....we all almost started crying the spirit was so strong. I am so excited to teach her. There is something really special about A. So that will be fun this week.

With the world cup starting this week....we are on strict rules to stay in our houses during Brasil games. A little before and after. These orders came from the first presidency and are for all missions in the whole country. Apparently it may get a little crazy. I am not worried though. We live in a really safe area. The unfortunate part is the staying home almost all day part. We are supposed to study. I am excited for more study time. But the not working part is a little rough. Even if we were to go out in the street though we wouldn’t get any work done. No one comes out of their house and the ones who do are drunk. We are NOT allowed to watch ANY of the games, nor are we allowed to go out in public wearing ANY team shirts or even the team colors. Not even Brasil. It’s going to be crazy! I’m excited but I admit I was a little bummed we can’t watch...I wanted to see the experience and we even had a less active family invite us to an alcohol free night at there house to watch the game and they agreed to a lesson after.....we will have to find a way to just go to the after part. The rule makes sense though. No one was surprised. 

Apart from transfers...nothing really happened this week. It was a slow week. We had stake conference which was excellent! I sang before the meeting and the actually meeting was a broadcast where ELDER SCOTT spoke in PORTUGUESE! And Elder Ballard spoke. But he had a translator. haha. It was really neat to hear Elder Scott speak Portuguese. He speaks really well! Even if he did mix a bit of Spanish in it....it was understandable and very inspired. (I thought Grandpa would like that story) It was a wonderful conference. At the adult session at night Sheila and Ricardo bore their testimonies! It was beautiful! They are by far the most beautiful new member family that ever existed. ;) I love them so much. They taught me how to Samba and basically adopted me. <3 

The Boxer's baptism
Well I love you all and have a good week! Check out the really neat talk that I will put a link too! Changed my whole perspective on revelation! The other link is my SECOND favorite talk ever....second only to the first. It is very inspiring and motivating. :) 

Sister Heyer

Favorite Quotes and scriptures: 
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? . . .
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. . . .
. . . They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. [Isaiah 40:28–31]

"The simple fact is that our Father did not recommend Eve or Moses or Nephi or countless other magnificent exemplars for this dispensation—He recommended you and me. Do you think God would have left the last days to chance by sending men and women He couldn’t count on? So how will you live up to our Father’s recommendation? Happily, though we must each walk through life on our own, we don’t have to do it alone. "






Sunday, June 8, 2014

The Boxer was Baptized!!!

N, the boxer, was baptized yesterday!!!! And confirmed! :D It was AWESOME. It happened all so fast. We taught him on Thursday night with a great ward family and after the lesson he just casually told us, as he biked away, to fill the font for 8:00 Sunday morning! So we did! It was a really neat baptism. We sang "Come Thou Fount" a verse in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. The "welcome" from the Elders Quorum was in English and a testimony was given in Spanish. It was really neat and he was smiling from ear to ear. After the baptism he came to our lunch appointment with us and the Elders. It was fun. He was already such a different person! It was really neat to see him so calm and happy and more himself. The ward has already invited him to three family home evenings and lunches. He was instantly adopted. He is quite the iron man though….didn't even plug his nose. And he practically rose out of the font by himself! hahaha. It was great. 

Other than N, this week was pretty normal. Except for interviews with President. But that was nothing new or crazy. I will be singing at Stake Conference next week. Transfers are next week and I will probably be transferred. Sister H will go home next week. :( (Because she finished already....good grief, time passes fast). The last person from my district is coming to Brasil!!! :D I learned how to Samba. Officially. I LOVE latin dancing. So that’s a new thing. The police force went on strike for 2 days and people went nuts with stealing and committing crimes...we didn’t see anything though thank goodness. We did a service project for "Mormon helping hands" at the Taquaral and pictures of us Sisters are apparently on the church site somewhere. But I still haven’t found it. They might be in the Liahona. :D 

Oh and....on Thursday....I WILL HAVE ONE YEAR ON MY MISSION. :O CRAZY.

Well I love you all loads and I wish you a great week! If you have a minute you should check out this AWESOME speech by Elder Holland. :) 

Sister Heyer


 
Making chicken feet for Minute to Win game with Zone.
It was GROSS!




Too short to reach the ground at the bus stop
The Spider
The Reaction to the Spider

Sunday, June 1, 2014

A Punk with a Cold

Well....this week was FREEZING. Except on Tuesday and Friday morning where it was so hot we were dripping sweat... for about 2 hours until suddenly it dropped in temperature drastically....and then rained for 3 days straight. My companion and I are sick with colds....again. I now hate vitamin C.

But that’s okay because T was CONFIRMED on Sunday finally. :D It was such a miracle. She was going to try and get out of it again but I’m a sneaky little punk. She told us she wouldn’t need a ride and that it would be fine....except her husband was out of town with the car so THAT was a lie. I told her if she didn’t show up by 9:15 we would send someone to get her. She laughed. I wasn’t kidding. Well...9:15 the relief society first counselor, Isabel, showed up at her door to pick her up for church. She patiently waited while T got out of her PJs and ready for church then swearing our names and mumbling not so nice things about me and Sister L (but especially me because she knows I’m a punk and Sister L is an angel) she came to church. She stormed in (dramatically...she wasn’t TRULY mad just kinda mad), sits down by me and turns to me and says "I will hit you". hahahaha. She was serious though. Then she refused to go up to be confirmed because she was so embarrassed. So Isabel came up and held her hand and went up there with her. Isabel is the best. I would’ve done it but she wanted to hit me. hahahaha. After she was confirmed she of course was crying and super happy but refused to admit it to me. She told me to come get a drink with her and when we got into the hall I stood there with my eyes shut and said "Go ahead and hit me now". She didn’t. But I think she thought about it. She was happy though in the long run. She even cheered out loud (really loud actually and threw her arms up) when everyone raised their hand to welcome her as a member of the church. It was awesome. T is going to liven up this ward and make such a fun difference. Sister L and I wrote down all we could remember that was said in her confirmation and gave it to her. She had some AMAZINGLY inspired blessings given to her. It was beautiful. :)

I sang last night with Elder S accompanying me at a Single Adults activity. "Lord I would Follow Thee". It went well except I was a bit out of breath b/c I couldn’t breath out of my nose. ;P But it went well. :) 

Apart from that nothing really happened this week. Lots and lots and lots of doors. And no novos. -_- But....faz parte. We are doing the best we can and have some new ideas to do with the ward to get more references. Everyone is getting excited. Almost the world cup. Then the country just STOPS. Hopefully not the work too though...

Well I hope all is well. :) I love you all and have a great week! 


Sister Heyer